The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.

Although we specialize in maps of fictional realms, as commonly used in both novels and games (both tabletop and role-playing), many Guild members are also proficient in historical and contemporary maps. Likewise, we specialize in computer-assisted cartography (such as with GIMP, Adobe apps, Campaign Cartographer, Dundjinni, etc.), although many members here also have interest in maps drafted by hand.

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I love fantasy, I love maps; guess that's why I'm here!

Hello all!
My name is Dan, and this past year I did a research project on Middle Earth. Along with my paper, I decided to replicate a map of the world. That was probably the most fun project I've had in a very long time, and I enjoyed it very much. Afterwards, I was left craving more. I've always been a fan of Fantasy and roleplaying games, along with epic video games like Skyrim. I've attempted to create a world multiple times in the past, but I simply did not have the literary skill to do so. Now that I'm a little older, I'd like to begin again. My overall goal is to create a "realistic" world like Tolkien's, where things make sense and could happen. I've also been inspired by Game of Thrones to do this as well. Now, like I said before, I LOVE CARTOGRAPHY. It's something that has always interested me, but also something which I have never quite mastered. I've been looking at the tutorials, and most, if not all of them, do not have the "style" I'm looking for, if you will.
Here's a quick sketch of my current style:

Without deviating from that too much (sorry for terrible quality, don't have access to a scanner at the moment), I'd like to make it a whole lot better. The top-down view of things does not really represent what I like. I like the style of computer-made coastlines, but I still want the 45 degree angle view of the mountains and trees (and I have no idea how to do that). Kind of like this post that was on the front page: http://www.cartographersguild.com/ca...heredepic.html

Any tips? Pointers? Where should I go to get better at this stuff? Thanks guys, and I look forward to being here quite often

Welcome to the Guild LampitosGames! There are a few tutorials here on hand drawn maps that might be worth checking out. Torstan has a nice series of walk-through's here, and DJ has a series here as well. Best wishes on your quest.